Boston Collegiate, which serves grades 5-12, was just one of seven schools in the nation that was awarded a federal grant to implement its program.

“We really want to meaningfully help another school,” said Shannah Varon, executive director of BCCS. “We believe in the team at the Burke and we want to be part of the great work going on over there.”

The Exemplary Charter School Collaboration Grant from the U.S. Department of Education is a two-year $203,800 grant that will be used to foster a partnership between the two schools and hopefully boost MCAS scores at the Burke.

In 2011 40 percent of the school’s students were “proficient” in English and just 25 percent were “proficient” in math.

Those scores improved slightly in 2012 with 45 percent of the students “proficient” in English and 34 percent “proficient” in math.

“We want to prove collaboration is a viable strategy for school improvement,” said Varon. “Our vision is to expand our impact.”

Boston Collegiate’s students have consistently scored top marks on the MCAS and the school will work to share its practices with the Burke and its students, bringing its best and most successful policies to the Washington Street school.

---Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.